House of Demigods: Revised
by FriendForEver
Summary: Maybe it's just their imagination, but either something really weird is going on again or they're going crazy. A quest is set, there's a missing person, and traitors mingle. Normal? Yeah right. By the time they find out the secrets, it'll be too late. A rewrite of HoD.
1. Miss Martin Gets Attacked By A Monster

**I'm so very sorry for my unplanned vacation. We moved, and I didn't have much access to a computer in a whole _month_. But anyways, this a better version of House of Demigods. (To me at least.) I didn't really like how the other version was going. But still, same plot and idea, just slightly different. And more detailed, by my part.**

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><p>It was just another day in the House of Anubis for Nina, Amber, Patricia, Mara, Jerome, Fabian, Mick, and Alfie.<p>

Or so they thought.

Alfie stumbled into the dining room, looking like a zombie in the movies he and Jerome watch. As he settled in his seat, Trudy served him a stack of her notorious pancakes. Unfortunately, Alfie had comfortably used his pancakes as a pillow.

Nina giggled. "Having fun, Alfie?"

Alfie just groaned. Then he muttered, "Studied for Mrs. Anderson's test all night. Too drained for pancakes." Considering Alfie's desire for food, it was completely horrifying that he didn't want to even eat _Trudy's_ pancakes.

Everyone was having an astonishingly great time at breakfast.

It might seem so very ordinary for you, but not in this house. Sure, most of the time these kids are peaceful and composed, but at times it can be very on edge. Take last year, for instance. Six of them formed a top secret-

_Ding dong!_ Went the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" Trudy called from the kitchen.

Trudy made her way past the entrance hall and checked to see who was knocking on the door. Victor had gone out for an errand, so Trudy supposed it was him and he had forgotten his keys.

When she checked who it was through the peephole, she knew it wasn't Victor. _Absolutely_ not Victor. It was a girl and a boy, both looking a little too familiar to Trudy. The boy had black hair and bright green eyes. He was talking to the girl next to him, who had princess-like blond hair and stern grey eyes. Both of them wore similar orange shirts. At the moment, Trudy's memory came back to her, and she opened the door.

The boy stared at her, examining Trudy. "Trudy? Trudy Rehmann?"

Trudy smiled and hugged the two of them. She sighed. "Percy! Annabeth! What're you two doing here?"

The girl, Annabeth, just smiled. "Chiron had told us to tell you he needs you. It's very urgent."

"Well, why couldn't Chiron ask another to lend a hand, like Grover?"

"Grover is busy with another mission." Annabeth moved a piece of hair out of the way. "Besides, he means you and only _you_ would know."

As Trudy began to recall what Chiron told her the past three years, she heard a booming sound coming from the kitchen.

She heard Amber scream, and Trudy rushed over to help. As she saw what was happening, Trudy nearly passed out.

Before her and the others was a twelve foot tall Minotaur.

Nina couldn't believe her eyes.

A twelve foot tall half man, half bull thing just appeared in the dining room. And it had to be a school day, of all days.

Amber was shrieking her little heart out. Nina had to cover her ears just to prevent her ears from breaking.

As Trudy rushed in to the rescue, in came two other kids, one boy and one girl. They both seemed ready to defeat this thing. Even more surprising: they didn't even look _scared_.

Nina, Fabian, Amber, Mick, Mara, Alfie, Patricia, and Jerome all hid under the table. They all got into a somewhat fetal position, ready for an earthquake. Nina kept her eyes shut the whole time. She could feel the pressure and the tension from under the table.

_This can't be happening_, Nina thought._ It's just a nightmare, and I'm going to wake up soon._

"I thought I killed you four years ago," Nina heard a boy say. It was mostly likely the one that ran in, the one with black hair and green eyes. "Back for seconds?"

Something grunted. "I'm just the beginning, Perseus Jackson. You may not know this, but it's not just me that's coming. There will be more."

"What're you doing here, anyway?" A girl's voice said. She was the one with blonde hair and gray eyes.

Nina had to open her eyes, out of curiosity. She saw the boy and girl pointing at the monster with… a sword and dagger? What kind of sixteen year-olds carry lethal weapons? The monster slowly backed up, still holding his stance. His body was pointed toward the fireplace.

Then she saw Trudy standing in the sidelines. She knew the monster was aiming straight for her. Nina knew she couldn't just leave Trudy for dead. So she did the only thing sensible.

Nina threw herself to Trudy, pushing Trudy out of the way just before the monster head-butted on the old fireplace.

Nina was panting like crazy. She was relieved, of course, but still terrified. She could've died!

The monster grunted as he got himself up once more. As he got up, he saw Nina. His eyes changed from mad to pure fury.

"It's you again," he said. "The little Death Princess."

Nina just stood there, shocked. "What are you talking about? I'm no death princess."

"Don't try to fool me with your trickery, Death Princess," the monster said, getting ready to charge once again. "You're not getting away with it again."

Nina screamed as she awaited her death.

Then something happened.

Her chest felt a little warm. Then warmer and warmer as the monster got closer and closer to her. Her chest felt as if it was a pot of boiling water, and the bubbles were rolling.

When she felt the blinding red glow, and she had to shut her eyes. When she opened them again, the monster was gone. He just… _disappeared_. Not even one trace that the past fifteen minutes or so ever even happened. All the things were in their perfect places. The wall was back to what it was before. There was nothing.

As Nina's housemates slowly emerged out from under the dining table, the boy with black hair, Perseus, said, "Okay. Whatever just happened was creepy."

Trudy stared at Nina, as well as everyone else. Then the girl with blond hair spoke up. "One thing I know for sure: we've got to get these kids to Camp."

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><p><strong>I'd love some <em>constructed <em>critisism. Notice how I put contructive. I believe that's aboout it.**

**-FFE**


	2. Welcome to Camp HalfBlood, Kiddos

**I know this is _way _overdue, but I got up my lazy self to go ahead and post the second chapter. I've got almost every little piece of need-to-know information for you, dear readers. Don't worry, the story will pick up. Trust me.**

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><p>Annabeth was absolutely scared stiff of the girl, Nina.<p>

She nearly gotten herself killed, not to mention she was called Death Princess by the Minotaur. Annabeth knew that Nina knew nothing about slaying monsters.

But how did she just happen to kill the Minotaur and leave no trace of it being there in a matter of seconds?

Annabeth shook the thought out of her head. Right now, there were more important things to be thinking about. Like getting these eight kids to Camp. (How they survived together for a year without any monsters, she had no clue.) Or praying to the gods that they don't get shot out of the sky by Zeus.

They were about halfway through their trip. Next to Annabeth, Percy was fiddling with her sketchbook. On the other side, Nina was noiselessly talking with the boy next to her, Fabian.

"Nina?" Annabeth asked.

Nina turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Why did the monster call you Death Princess?"

Nina's hazel eyes turned to utter puzzlement. "Honestly, I don't know. Everything that's happened the past few hours has been a haze. And I'm pretty sure he got me mixed up with Patricia. She's the real Death Princess."

"I heard that, Nina." Patricia said, kicking her seat from behind.

When the plane gradually descended into the John F. Kennedy Airport, Annabeth breathed a loud sigh of relief and muttered, "Thank the gods."

Percy chuckled next to her. "Relax. At least we haven't entered Hera territory."

Since they had no way of quick transportation, Annabeth, Percy, Trudy, and the others had to walk about five miles to Camp. The whole time, the blond girl, Amber, was complaining about her heels. Fortunately, Trudy brung along some gum for her to gnaw on. At least Amber was finally shutting up.

When they had made it up the hill, they were greeted by the purple dragon that protected the Golden Fleece. Annabeth smiled as he stayed sound asleep. They made it to the top of the hill with no difficulty at all.

"Camp sweet camp," Percy said.

The eight kids stared in astonishment at all the buildings. She could sense their excitement from a mile away. Or was it anxiety?

"Dears," Trudy said, staring at the Big House, a colonial like residence that acted as the directors' office, as well as other things. "I have to go and take care of things. Now, behave. Percy and Annabeth will be watching you."

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><p>The things they had at this camp were remarkable. This was in better shape than any of the camps Nina had ever been to times one million.<p>

There were elegant columns here and there, an amphitheater, a sword arena, and a lot of things that typical camps had. Nina also noticed that all of the ancient-looking architecture didn't look ancient at all. They were all a squeaky clean white.

As they passed the dining pavilion, Nina couldn't help but see that it had no roof. What would happen if it rained? Would they just cover it with tarp?

Annabeth stopped the tour at a semicircle of cabins, making a perfect Omega symbol. Every cabin seemed to have their own kind of style. For example, there was one cabin that looked like an enlarged copy of a Barbie Dream house. Another looked like the beach cabin Nina and Gran used to stay in when they went to Hawaii. In any way, they were all beautiful.

"So, all the cabins resemble a different god." Annabeth said, sitting on top of a decorative rock.

"You mean, like Osiris, Isis, and Anubis?" Nina said, staring at Annabeth.

"No, more like Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon," she continued. "All of the gods' children live in that cabin, no switching around, and no transferring cabins."

Nina could hear Amber groan and silently mumble, "This camp sucks. I want to go home."

"What about the ones with no kids? Did they all die or something?" Jerome asked.

"Nope. Some gods chose not to have children, like Artemis. They're just out of respect for the gods."

"So you're saying my whole life, that's been dedicated to logical thinking, is just a big lie?" Mara exclaimed, obviously angry. She stood up from a bench and crossed her arms. "And I'm just supposed to believe that gods control and do everything?"

Percy nodded calmly. "Yeah, I guess so. Science isn't a complete lie; it's just the half of it."

Just then, a little woman in a green dress that seemed to be just her skin ran by, screaming, "Grover!" She collided into a boy in a Rasta cap. Both of them knocked down to the floor, laughing together. They both leaned in to kiss when Percy and Annabeth yelled, "Grover!"

Nina just sat there, waiting for the discomfort of the moment to be over. She checked her watch. It was around six in the evening. Right now she should be doing her homework for biology class, back in England, in the school Gran had sent her to. She should be hanging out with her friends. She should be watching over the Cup. Nina knew she had to keep her promise of protecting that cup with her life. It was her friend's dying wish.

Then she slapped herself mentally. The Cup! What if it wasn't hidden in the right spot? What if Victor had gotten a hold of it? What if-

"Nina?" Amber said, waving her hands in front of Nina's face. "C'mon. They said it's time for dinner."

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><p>Dinner wasn't really what Amber had expected.<p>

When she saw the Ancient Greek replicas of old things, she knew the dining area had to be just as grandeur. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

The dining area was outdoors. Outdoors, for crying out loud!

Amber knew she shouldn't be acting this way. She nearly got killed about ten hours ago by some creepy monster she knew she had seen before.

That also got Amber thinking about what the monster had said to Nina. Death Princess. What did that mean? Did she used to act like Patricia or some other odd thing like that? Amber knew a lot about weird things, thanks to last year.

Since Annabeth had explained to them that all unclaimed kids sat in the staff table, all eight of them sat there. It was weird, considering Alfie and Jerome were completely behaved, which is completely unlike them.

The other campers had started to place some of their food to the fire. Offerings for the gods, Percy had told her. From the smell of the smoke, Amber knew she could definitely live on it. Yum. The smell of strawberry gum and German chocolate brownies.

When it was Amber's turn, she walked up to the campfire and she silently thought to herself and to whoever was listening. Please, please, please, she thought. Please get me out of here. She shoved a buttery biscuit into the fire, watching it slowly burn to a crisp.

Then all of a sudden, Amber felt a surge of power rush through her. It was a tingling sensation that made her feel a little pink. When she actually touched her cheeks, it truly felt extremely pink.

When she heard others gasping, she glanced at what they were staring at. Right on top of her head was a giant pink dove symbol. It gradually faded into the nighttime air and she saw the new camp director, Chiron, kneel down.

"All hail Amber Millington," Chiron said. "Daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty."

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><p><strong>Yay, Amber got claimed first! Aren't you just ecstatic?<strong>

**Until next time, (Hopefully before a week passes)**

**FFE**


	3. Capture The Flag Gets Interesting

**I knew this should've been updated over the weekend, but I got a little lazy and I had writer's block on the future chapters (I want to stay at least half a chapter ahead of all chapters.)**

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><p>Mara still couldn't believe she was at a so called "Half-Blood Camp."<p>

Sure, she read all the stories. She had to, for a class project. It was kind of interesting, how Greeks managed to have that much free time for stories.

It also didn't give her the right to say she didn't believe in any of that at all. She knew if she did, Zeus would shoot her down. Mara was sure she didn't want to take that chance.

At dinner, Mara saw Amber get claimed by her mom, Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. It didn't really surprise Mara at all. In fact, it was pretty obvious. Didn't really spark any surprises.

But knowing Amber was first claimed made Mara slightly jealous. Why didn't she be the first? Who was her godly mom? Mara knew for sure her dad wasn't a god, because he'd already went through three wives.

But all she could do was sit and stare at the ceiling inside the guests' room in the Big House. The room was large, enough to fit two king size beds. On one side, the girls slept. On the left side, the boys.

The large bedroom window that faced Mara looked out to Long Island Sound. The full moon glazed over the water, making the lining of the sea a clear gray. She could see the night lights of New York City from miles away, drowning out the stars.

As soon as Mara could, she dreamed.

She found herself on a hill. The grass was bright green and there were flowers popping up everywhere. The sun was shining in her eyes. Mara looked down.

_What am I wearing?_ She thought.

She was wearing a Grecian dress. Kind of like a warrior's, in a girl version. On her arms she wore golden armbands with pictures of different animals, most of them owls.

"We've been waiting for you, Mara Jaffray." A voice said.

A woman was walking toward her. She looked awfully familiar, with her black hair in a fishtail and beige skin. Her storm gray eyes matched Mara's and the way she stood made it pretty obvious; it was Athena, goddess of strategy and wisdom.

"Waiting?" Mara asked.

"Yes, waiting." Athena pulled Mara down the hill and to an area where all the flowers were gray, and a familiar house stood in front of them. "For years I've been waiting for another child of mine. Now that you've found your way to Camp Half-Blood, I need your help."

"Of course I can help you."

"Things are stirring once again. They know that one of your friends has something special, something that may change the world as we know it. Something that tips the scales of life. A cup." The scene changed to the night sky, as if the two of them were floating.

"Your mission, if you choose to accept it," Athena continued. "Is to find what it is, and get it before they arise."

Mara was confused. What was she talking about?

"Talk to Nina Martin," Athena said. "She knows what it is."

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><p>The next morning Nina woke up with a start. She felt a coiling in her stomach, and awoke to the sight of a silver owl over Mara's head.<p>

When Mara sat up, dazed, Nina said, "Congrats, Mara. You're a kid of Athena."

Mara groaned and said, "Yeah. I guess I should be moving to the Athena cabin." Her hair was disheveled so she brushed it away and got her backpack.

Later, Nina was with Annabeth, Mara, Amber, and Patricia in the armory, choosing a weapon.

"I don't understand why I'm even here. I know I won't be anywhere near any fight in the next millennia. Not to mention-"

"Just try this one out, Amber. It pretty and shiny!" Patricia said, shoving a large bracelet in her hands.

Nina continued looking at the weapons. There were spears, swords, daggers, you name it. What really caught her eye was a dagger that covered with black leather. When she unsheathed the dagger, the shiny copper showed her reflection. When Nina looked closer, she saw writing on the metal.

"Thanásima." Annabeth said. "That's the name of the sword. It means-"

"Deadly," Nina said. "That's what it means, right?"

"Yeah." Annabeth scrunched up her eyebrows. "It's been in the armory for years, and no one could unsheathe it. Chiron always used to say it was a cursed dagger, but no one believed him. Now-"

Nina just knew she was about to say, "Now I think he was right." She knew she was nothing but trouble. Nina knew that. That's why Gran had sent her away to that school in the first place. She was the thorn on a rose.

When the dinner bell rang, the five of them marched all the way over there. It wasn't fun, considering the awkward silence that held on through the whole walk. Nina held onto her necklace. Inside, two pictures were inside. One was the old painting of Sara, and the other was the house photo that they took in the beginning of the school year.

They were just about halfway done with dinner when a girl ran up from the infirmary, saying, "I'm all better and ready for capture the flag!"

When Nina saw her, she groaned. "Oh, joy. Joy."

"Joy?" Patricia said, excited. She stood up and hugged her friend.

"What are you doing here?" Amber asked her from the table they all sat at.

"Why am I _not_ here, Amber?" She responded, shrugging. Joy turned to Nina. They didn't really have any kind of relationship at all. All they both knew was that Nina was Joy's replacement.

Everyone was staring at them, but they quickly returned to their own business and retuned to chatting with their friends. Everyone talked in a livelier mood today. The main reason being Capture the Flag being tonight.

After dinner everyone was at the edge of the forest. Chiron was sitting in a lifeguard's kind of chair, yelling the rules so all could hear.

"And remember," Chiron said. "No maiming. We don't want what happened last time, do we?"

Then Annabeth, who was on the same team as Nina, came up to her. She gave Nina her instructions.

"All you have to do is stay guard with Mara. Don't leave the flag under any circumstances. Understood?"

Nina nodded. She was ready for this.

"Ready for me to kick your butt?"

Nina shook her head and smiled. "Fat chance, Fabian. As if your team could kick mine's. It's so on."

Chiron blew the whistle-or was it a horn? - And the game began.

Nina ran as fast as she could to her place. As she looked around the area, the night was still, yet cold to the touch. The eerie darkness of the forest helped illuminate the night sky above. Beside her, Mara was breathing heavily, as if she knew something bad was going to happen.

"Nina?" Mara said. Nina turned. "I have to tell you something. It's urgent."

"Sure, Mara. What is it?" In a matter of seconds, Nina flashed back everything she and Mara had ever done. Nope, nothing that would Mara would actually feel mad or even slightly sad about.

Mara sat down on a log where small bugs were crawling out of. "Last night, I had a dream. My mom, Athena, had told me that some things were stirring. She told me that they wanted a cup or something like that. And she also told me that you'd have something to do with this. "

Nina's eyes widened.

_Oh no,_ Nina thought. _Things stirring… and they want the Cup… Oh no…_

Then they heard something groan. Nothing that would sound like an enemy trying to get the flag, just groaning. In pain.

Nina and Mara rushed over to where the groaning was coming from. As they got closer and closer, Nina feared that it could be worse than they expected. What if it was some crazy dragon that was on a killing spree?

The body came stumbling through the bushes, eventually collapsing on a pile of leaves. The body seemed to have a sort of shimmer to them, like they glowed in the dark.

Nina examined the body. The person seemed cold, even thought they wore a silver parka and the night was ridiculously warm. In their hands was a silver bow, and on her back were arrows.

"I'm not touching it," Mara said, backing away.

Nina shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Nina grabbed a stick- for safety precautions- and tried to see if they were alive. The closer the stick got, the more nervous Nina became.

When she did poke it, the figure groaned again. Nina decided to pick it up carefully.

"Quick, help me, Mara."

Together, they picked up the body. Taking a closer look at it, they both realized that it was a girl, about seventeen, with black hair and a tiara on her forehead. Her face was slightly green and really familiar.

They pulled her to the river where everyone was already. There was cheering and hollering from various kids.

"What were you guys thinking? We lost the game!" Annabeth said, making her way over to them. She saw the body they carried and her face turned to pure horror. "What… no, this can't be happening…"

Annabeth yelled for medics.

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><p><strong>Good news: it's almost summer, which means I'll be able to get chapters updated a little bit faster! :)<strong>

**And I need some help. **

**So over the summer I was planning to compose a four part harmony (SATB, if you know what I mean) and I'm having trouble with er matching it. (I'm using 'The Saltwater Room' by Owl City.) And if it's possible, could you guys help me out by trying to find a choir version of it?**

**-FFE**


	4. The First Sibuna Meeting in a While

**I am riddled with writer's block. That is all.**

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><p>It took half a day for the girl to wake up.<p>

Nina, Mara, Annabeth, Percy, and others were all crowded around her when she awoke.

"Uh… what… what…?" She glanced around the whole room. The girl looked frightened, as if she didn't know what happened. She glanced at everyone in the room, who was now looking at her. "Percy? Annabeth? What am I doing here?"

Percy spoke up. "Relax, Thalia. Nina and Mara saw you stumbling in the forest, groaning. We carried you back to the infirmary as soon as we could."

"Nina?" the girl said, staring right at Nina. Her electric blue eyes seemed to jolt Nina, as if she knew her before. "Like the stories…" She dozed off again.

Nina shook her head. The past few hours she stared getting major headaches and her necklace started getting radiator hot and next tundra cold. It was a temperature roller coaster.

"What stories?" Percy asked directly to Nina.

Nina shook her head, eyes full of confusion and desperation. "I honestly don't know." She started to back out of the room. "And I don't want to find out." And she ran out of the room.

Nina collided with a girl, both of them falling to the ground. They rubbed their heads, and glanced at each other.

The girl staring back at Nina was about her age, with blazing red hair that flowed in the wind, threatening to set fire to anything in its path. "I'm so sorry," the girl said, standing up and helping Nina up. For a split second, her eyes seemed to glow, but they went back to their normal color before Nina could notice anything wrong.

"It's okay," Nina replied. She rubbed her head. "I'm Nina."

The girl smiled. "Rachel. Nice to meet you."

Amber ran up to them. "Nina, is something wrong?"

Suddenly, Nina felt a pang in her head, like someone hit a gong, and the sound waves were moving back and forth against her head. When Nina pried open her eyes, she definitely wasn't at Camp anymore.

The area seemed to be surrounded by wood, and the floor was pure concrete. It was as if they were under something.

From the corner of her eye, Nina saw a shadow. It was as big as a human's, but just didn't seem like a human being.

The figure had gone closer and closer to where Nina was. One of their hands reached out and held onto something. Nina couldn't make out what the exact item was, but it seemed like it was cup-shaped. The shape shimmered gold, and Nina could tell where and where she was at that moment.

Her heart started to beat faster, and only one thought raced through her head.

_It's time for a Sibuna meeting, _she thought.

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><p>Later, Fabian was working extensively on finishing a gardening book he was starting to enjoy when Patricia stood in front of him, arms crossed. Fabian put his book down and stared at Patricia.<p>

"Yes, Patricia?" he said.

"Nina says we need to have another meeting." Patricia grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the swords arena, where Nina, Amber, Alfie, and Jerome were waiting. The two of them sat down as Nina spoke.

"Guys," she said. "Someone stole the Cup of Ankh."

With that, the group went into hysterics. The Hermes kids, who were practicing their sword skills, glanced at them for a moment. After the Sibuna kids calmed down, the Hermes kids went back to practicing.

"Tell me you're not joking," Patricia angrily whispered.

Nina shook her head sadly. "Not joking. I got a vision, and it seemed so real. I could swear I right there, watching someone take it." She put her hands up. "And for safety precautions, I think I should go back and check if it's still there. I made a promise, and I won't take it back. It was Sarah's dying wish."

Fabian could feel that she was really worried. "I'll go with you. I was with you since the beginning, and might as well be there 'til the end." He smiled, and Nina smiled back.

"This is so sweet!" Amber exclaimed.

The others cringed, saying, "Please, spare me."

"So it's set," Nina said. "Tomorrow morning, we're going back to school."

"Sibuna," Amber said, putting one hand over her eye. The others followed, saying, "Sibuna."

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><p>"Are you crazy?" Annabeth said. "It's rare that anyone now is even <em>given<em> a quest. How do you expect to request one and be granted permission?"

Nina shrugged. "We have to try. I'm not going to take a no. This is really important to me, even if you can't understand." She pushed Annabeth out of the way and made a beeline to the Big House.

As she passed several campers, she got various looks from other campers. Maybe it was because she was the one that found a passed out Hunter in the woods. Maybe it was because she was still wearing her pajamas. Whatever the reason, Nina brushed it off and stood in front of Mr. D, arms crossed.

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><p>The hearth of the fire was dimming. She poked the embers, attempting to keep the flames alive for just enough time to keep her warm before she would set off again.<p>

"Did you bring the cup?" a deep voice said behind her.

She turned around. There before her was the face in her dreams. He was the one that urged her to steal it, and the one who had kidnapped her. His face had recovered from the stings, and for some reason, he seemed different. He radiated a sort of power that could only be gained by making a deed with the devil.

She nodded. "It's in my carrier." As he headed towards her leather carrier, she asked, "And you will swear on the River Styx that I get a sip after this revival thing is through?"

"Of course you will. I swear on the River Styx."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Good," she said, smiling. "Those half-bloods won't see it coming."

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><p><strong>Ooo... cliffhanger.<strong>

**So who do you think is the girl and the voice at the last segment? Please review who you think. I wanna know!**

**So long, and happy early Independence Day!**

**-FFE**


	5. The Quest Begins

**I finally got the hang of prophecy making. It's actually not that hard.**

**Most of you guys guessed wrong. I'm not saying who got it right, mostly because it'll ruin all the fun.**

**And now, chapter 5 of House of Demigods.**

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><p>"Can I help you . . .? Miss . . . . Um. . ." Mr. D said.<p>

"It's Martin." Nina answered. "I want to request for a quest."

"Bah! As of I'd let a _newcomer_ go on a quest! We haven't given out a single quest in two years!."

"But I-" Nina pleaded.

"No excuses!"

By then Chiron had overheard the conversation, and he came over in his wheelchair.

"What is going on here?" Chiron asked, turning to Nina. "And what about requesting a quest?"

Nina told him everything; the visions, her chat with Mara, and even about the Cup of Ankh. As she was telling this, both Chiron's and Mr. D's turned from curiosity to realization to grief. Chiron scratched his brown beard, thinking very hard. As for Mr. D, he just continued to pretend cleaning his very dirty fingernails.

"It seems that this Cup is very important," Mr. D said, who was still cleaning his nails. He turned his body towards Chiron, saying the next few words very suggestively. "Would you say it would, I don't know, tip the scales of life?"

Nina raised her eyebrow. But reluctantly, she nodded. "Yes. A soul for a soul."

Mr. D and Chiron then had a few moments of unsaid conversation. From Nina's head, she imagined the conversation in her head.

Mr. D: _Do you think it could be The Cup?_

Chiron: _There is only one. And I believe Nina Martin had found all the pieces, put the Cup back together, and then, someone could steal it._

Mr. D: _Could it be a hero?_

Chiron: _Only heroes can steal a magical item without anything happening to them._

Chiron then turned to Nina. "All right. You may have your quest. By dinner, I expect you to have chosen two companions. After this, you may visit the Oracle. And by sunrise tomorrow, you'll be on your way."

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><p>Nina ran over to where Amber was. She was chatting happily with her fellow siblings by the lake. As she got closer, their conversations faltered and they all stared at her.<p>

"Amber," Nina said, still all smiling. "Can I talk to you in private?"

"Of course." Amber got off and strolled to her. Nina could hear the whispers of Amber's siblings. Some things about unclaimed and freak show.

"What's up?" Amber asked.

"I got the quest. Tomorrow morning, you, Fabian, and me are heading back to England."

Amber's eyes widened. "You're kidding me. Why choose me and not, I don't know, Mara?"

"Because you were the one that founded Sibuna in the first place. Now, you better get packing. We're leaving at dawn."

* * *

><p>At dawn, the three heroes were ready to disembark.<p>

Nina, Amber, and Fabian were all sitting in the parlor of the Big House, awaiting Chiron's orders. Nina was looking around, extremely nervous. She was the one to see the Oracle, and technically, she was responsible for her friends' lives on this quest.

"Ah! I see that you three are prepared to go." Chiron said. He walked in the room with his magic wheelchair, which hid his enormous horse half. "Argus?"

Just then, a person who looked like a California native- blond hair, blue eyes, the whole shabam, - walked into the room. The weird thing about him was… his whole body, actually. He eyes all over his body.

"Can you please escort these half-bloods at the regular stop, after Nina goes to the Oracle?"

Argus grunted.

"Excellent. Now Nina, it's time for you to see the Oracle."

* * *

><p>The Oracle's housing was actually on the other side of camp. It was carved on the side of a mountain. Bones, old swords, and various things littered the ground. Both sides of the entrance had two columns that held fire. A dark velvet curtain covered the entrance.<p>

_Here goes,_ Nina thought to herself.

Inside, it was actually pretty cool. There were beanbag chairs everywhere. A statue of Apollo, the god of music and prophecy, stood in the center of the room. A television had been left running, and the smell of warm cookies wavered in the air.

"This place is too cool," Nina said, walking around and touching things in the room.

"It is, isn't it?" said a voice behind her. "I'm Rachel."

Nina turned. Before her stood the redheaded girl she stumbled into earlier, Rachel.

"Oh, so we have met. Sit down, and we can just chill until the spirit comes."

"What?"

"Nina, I can't force the spirit of Delphi out of me. We have to wait until it comes to me."

_Okay… this is going to be really weird,_ Nina thought.

"So," Rachel said, grabbing a Coke from her bag. "What's this quest that Chiron and Mr. D decided to give you?"

"Uh… I'm not sure," Nina lied. "But it had something to do with my old school."

"I see." Rachel sipped some of her Coke. "I also heard that Thalia knows some… interesting information."

"Who's Thalia?"

"The Hunter girl you dragged out of the woods on capture the flag night, remember?"

The problem was, Nina chose not to remember anything that happened on that night. Somehow, it brought back bad feelings.

Nina's eyes were looking down at the stone floor when she heard a voice in her head.

_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask._

When Nina's eyes met Rachel's again, it wasn't Rachel anymore. It was like something possessed her body, making her eyes glow green and make glowing green fog swirl around the room.

Finally, Nina collected her guts and choked out, "What do I have to do to get the Cup of Ankh back?"

After a few seconds, Nina saw the fog change into a clear picture of a fire and a sleeping girl.

_"The buried information will be exposed,_

_The mistake shall be disposed._

_The betrayer will be once again healed,_

_And you shall rise or fall by the shield."_

* * *

><p><strong>I'd really like to see what you guys think the prophecy means. So review, or I'll have Nemesis get you!<strong>

**And at the end of the story, I'll show you which gods I had chosen for the HoA characters and why.**

**-FFE**


	6. Mutual Dreaming

"What is with you British people and your streets?" Nina said. She tried once more to pinpoint their location on the map she held, but failed miserably. She grunted and stuffed the map into her backpack.

"Nina, don't be ripping on us British people," Amber said,ripping a piece of croissant and it in her mouth. "Besides, it's not our fault that we don't memorize streets on our free time."

Silence washed over the trio. They sat outside a café eating a small dinner. They couldn't afford much, just a few croissants and hot chocolates. They listened to the sounds of the city. This quest was quickly turning to a huge waste of time.

Fabian stood. "Maybe if we keep moving along, we'll find our way. We can't just stop and sit here. Time is money, you know."

Nina agreed. The three went off, taking a right, left, another left, and down fifteen blocks. In the end, they stopped at the near outskirts of town, in front of a very run-down house. It was being foreclosed, and it seemed abandoned.

Fabian stared at it. "It's better than nothing." He and Nina headed inside. Amber stood at gate.

"Um, I don't mean to ruin our little mission here, but isn't this kind of illegal?" Amber asked.

"Amber, we don't even have enough money for food in the morning, much less a Motel 6. Now, come on, before anyone finds us here," Fabian said, escorting Amber inside the house.

The house's door was unhinged, welcoming anyone inside. The stained wallpaper was torn down, glass from the windows broken and strewn about. Amber could almost hear the scurrying of rats. It was disgusting. But it'll have to do.

_Just one night, Amber,_ she thought to herself, _then we'll be off._

"I'll take first watch," Fabian said. "You girls get some sleep."

It took a while, but Amber soon fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Amber found herself dreaming of a girl. She couldn't see the girl's face quite well from the darkness, but she could hear her mumbling. It was something about fire... eternal life... ponies?...<p>

She could see just a glimpse of something. Was it gold? She couldn't tell.

Then Amber heard laughing. It was a deep, sinister chuckle.

"Are you spying on my servant, Daughter of Aphrodite?" The voice said.

Amber froze. It was as if she had heard this voice before, as if... someone was trying to return.

The voice chuckled again. "You know you three can't stop me again. Especially the Chosen One. Soon, I'll be alive again. And I'll be coming after you."

* * *

><p>Amber awoke with a start.<p>

"Amber, is something wrong?" Nina asked. "You were gasping for air and yelping."

Amber couldn't speak. She sat up and leaned against the wall. "There was... a room... a girl... g-gold... and a voice..." She kept muttering obscenities until Fabian hushed her.

"Amber, stop rambling," he said. "Now, just tell us the dream slowly."

Amber told them all about the girl, the gold glint, and the voice. She kept shivering as she told the story, as if the voice was there, chilling her to the bone.

"That's odd..." Nina said. "I had the same dream too."

Fabian nodded. "Me too."

Amber scarfed down her breakfast. She stood quickly and said, "Well, we better get going if we're going to get the Cup and stop whoever the voice was from living again."

* * *

><p>The trio found themselves lost. Again.<p>

"Why can't we just ask for directions?" Amber asked. "Or even better, a cab driver?"

Nina bumped into someone. They were on a street corner, waiting to cross the road. "Well, for starters, we only have about three dollars to spend. Second, I don't think anyone knows exactly where our school is, so if you could just-"

"Good news!" Fabian said cheerfully. "I just met a street performer that knows just where school is."

Nina frowned. She wasn't one to ask for directions, but gladly, Fabian was. They were given a sheet of paper with very specific directions. Soon enough, they arrived.

"I told you we should've asked for some directions," Amber muttered.

Nina kept walking. When she began to think of the Cup, she started running. She kept running down the halls, through the science lab, and into the auditorium. She walked onto the stage, carefully looking over each board. She found the loose one, the one she used to open the safe place, and lifted it up. She shoved her hand down and felt around.

Just as she suspected.

She turned slowly to Fabian and Amber.

"Nothing," Nina said. "The Cup's gone."


	7. Meanwhile, There's A Thief Among Them

Chapter 7: Meanwhile, There's A Thief Among Them

"Jerome, are you paying attention?" Will Solace said. "You were doing so good with your archery. Maybe if you had several more hours of practice-"

"I'm kind of bored with this, Will. Maybe start fresh tomorrow, yeah?" Jerome gives Will his bow and arrows back and walks away.

Just one day.

It only took one day to be bored here. The only things you could do were to practice, eat, and laze around. Not much excitement around. But Jerome's theory was simple: in order for excitement, you have to do it yourself.

After walking about thirty yards, he saw it: the Apollo cabin.

The cabin itself wasn't easy on the eyes. One glance and it'd blind you. It was it's own sun. The exterior walls were a bright gold. And the best part: the door was left ajar.

Jerome snuck quietly in, careful to not have anyone see or hear him. Barely touching the door, he saw that there wasn't anyone in the room

"Hello?" Jerome whispered, just to make sure.

No one answered. Perfect.

He was told it was a big no-no for other campers to be inside another cabin other than their own. Obviously, they should've had locks in case of thieves, like him.

The room was bright. It made the exterior look like a dying light bulb compared to the interior.

The walls were a soft pink, resembling the twilight outside, but if one were to watch for a while it would change to the color of the night. The beds were set on the left side of the narrow cabin, and in front of each bed was a large trunk, with each person's name engraved in the wood. The right side had medicinal tables, a row of bows and quivers, and stacks upon stacks of sheets of paper. Jerome saw that they had a bunch of lines and dots that he couldn't figure out. The ceiling also had those same patterns that alternated every few minutes. There were different titles for each pattern; Adagietto, Hallelujah, Shake Your Booty.

As Jerome walked past the bunks, he spotted a trunk engraved with Joy's name on it. Smiling, he approached it.

He slowly opened the cedar wood lid and glanced inside.

Just some clothes, her cell phone, that stupid little bunny she carries around, photos, a notebook, Nina's locket-

Wait.

Now how did _Joy_ get her hands on _Nina's_ special locket? Jerome didn't know much about Nina, but he knew she would never let go of it.

Doing anything good wasn't something on Jerome's list of things to do. But this was kind of more important than the list.

* * *

><p>"Mara! Mara!" Jerome called from the cabin area. Mara could see and hear him even from across the lake.<p>

He ran to her. She noticed that he held something with black string.

"Be quiet, Jerome," she said. "You're scaring the nymphs off. They don't enjoy yelling."

Mara could see tiny bubbles from the naiads. She was so close to getting a glimpse of them out of water, but Jerome had ever so kindly ruined it.

She sighed in frustration. "Never mind."

"Good. Now look what I found in Joy's trunk earlier," he said, opening his palm.

Mara looked at it. It was a locket in the shape of an eye. She knew it looked familiar, but she couldn't seem to remember where.

"It looks like a pretty locket, Jerome," she said.

"But you don't understand. This is _Nina's_ locket," he said. "It's very... important. She _needed_ this locket."

She didn't like how he stressed Nina's and needed. It was like he was trying to send her a message without directly telling her.

He sighed. She didn't get it.

"Just forget it," he said. "I'll go find Alfie. Or Patricia."

Just before he left, she stopped him. "I want to help in... whatever you're doing. Just to make sure you're not going explode anything. And if you need brains."

He shrugged. If he let Mara know about Sibuna, that would mean another life in danger. But it also meant another person that could help. Plus, they really did need a smart person in the group. He decided that he, Alfie, and Patricia should all decide together.

* * *

><p>He found the two of them sparring in the arena. Both of them were drowning in sweat. Patricia held her borrowed sword towards Alfie, who had his in his hands, but he swished it back and forth. Their spotter, Percy, was frowning. He told Alfie to stop playing with his sword and attack first.<p>

Alfie tried to slash at Patricia, but she skillfully deflected off and forcefully pushed his sword so it clattered to the floor. She smiled triumphantly and walked to her seat in the arena, leaving Alfie standing their, catching his breath.

"Alfie! Patricia!" Jerome called.

They looked up from their positions. He motioned for them, and the two came over to him.

"What's going on, dude?" Alfie asked, smiling.

"This better be good," Patricia says, crossing her arms.

Jerome told them the whole story; walking in the Apollo cabin, looking in Joy's trunk, up all the way to talking to Mara, who was sitting on one of the arena seats.

"-and now we're here," Jerome finished.

"So, you want to let Mara join Sibuna?" Patricia said.

"I say we let her," Alfie remarked. "She's like, the smartest person we know. If anything, she could solve any problem we find."

"No way! We're already risking our lives, Alfie. Mara doesn't need to know about this."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"You guys!" Jerome said, silencing the two. "I say we should, and that makes two 'yes' votes. So we win."

Patricia frowned. "Fine. But next time we need to make decisions, it's my turn." She walked back to the sword fighting class.

Jerome walked to Mara. He told her everything about last year, but left a few minor details. She didn't need to hear the whole story. Alfie jumped in, trying to keep his part.

"This all happened without me realizing it?" Mara said, astonished. "I can't be that blind to everything."

* * *

><p>"Did you tell her?" Patricia asked them later after dinner. She kept her voice low, for fear of eavesdroppers.<p>

Jerome nodded."I told her what I knew. Most of it."

Patricia calls Mara over from her siblings from the Athena cabin to where they are.

"What's up, Patricia?" Mara asked.

"Well, first; welcome to Sibuna," Patricia puts her hand over her eye. "Second, Alfie told me you guys needed to announce something, besides initiating Mara."

"Well, this will probably say it all," Jerome says, pulling out Nina's necklace. Patricia's eyes widen at the sight.

"That can't be Nina's locket, can it?"

Jerome nodded. "I found it in Joy's trunk."

"Wait, why were you going through her trunk?"

"It doesn't matter why. All that matters is there's a thief among us." Jerome turned to Mara. "What do you think we should do, daughter of the war goddess?"

Mara gave it a good thought before speaking. "We should just-"

Just as they walked, Jerome became encircled in golden light. It hurt looking at it. Mara could swear hearing a harp playing, ever so softly.

When the glowing faded, Mara dared to glance at Jerome. He wasn't shining anymore, luckily. But in his hands was a small sheet of paper, the kind you'd find in fortune cookies.

She leaned over his shoulder as he read it quietly to himself.

_The princess will return to the throne,_

_Back in the place she calls home._

_It is then you will find the thief,_

_And find what was hidden down beneath. _


	8. Diversions

**By request of FabinaLover2001, I've brought back this series. It'll take time to adjust I'm back. (I watched the Sea of Monsters and I'm rewatching HoA, so I'm going to be charged with inspiration!)**

**Also, if I haven't mentioned this, HODR takes place after _The Last Olympian_ and after season 1 of HoA.**

**-FFE**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Diversions<p>

"Well, what now? We don't exactly have a lead on who would've stolen it," Fabian said. He wasn't exactly in the best of moods. After all, they came back to school just to confirm Nina's suspicions. The Cup is gone, and Nina's efforts were wasted.

Amber sighed. "Can we just go back to camp? I was really bonding with my siblings. Besides, we can't exactly come back here. We'd get in-"

"Look who it is: Miss Martin, Miss Millington, and Mister Rutter. Nice to see that at least three of the disappeared Anubis students have returned," Mister Sweet said. Behind him was Victor, looking smug.

* * *

><p>They ended up in detention. Apparently running away without any notice is against the rules.<p>

It was already half past four. Amber, for one, couldn't believe she was stuck with _delinquents_. She really did try to avoid the 'bad' crowd, but now it seems to do what she thought was good only brought on more trouble. She hoped that Sweet wouldn't call her father about this. Or worse, he'd hear about it and cancel all her credit cards.

While she knew Fabian and Nina were too busy worrying about the Cup, Amber thought it'd be better if she'd find an escape route.

Amber eyed the room. At the front of the classroom sat Mr. Sweet. A few desks to her right sat Fabian and Nina sat two desks in front of her. The rest of the students that had detention were spread like a checkerboard. The windows were right behind her. She could still escape, if only the windows weren't locked. She wouldn't have enough time to run out the door either. It was too far away.

_Think Amber_, she said to herself, _what would Jerome do to get out of this situation?_

Then she found it.

Amber raised her hand. "Mister Sweet, may I please go to the bathroom?" She made herself look anxious to really sell it.

Sweet raised his eyebrows. "For what reason?"

_To go to the bathroom, idiot._

"Um... Female things, Mister Sweet," Amber gave him a look that read 'You really don't want to know'.

Sweet didn't hesitate to send her away. When Amber reached the door, she met Nina and Fabian's eyes to make sure they'd get her memo. They nodded and gripped their backpacks tightly in their hands.

Amber strolled to the girls' bathroom. Luckily, the fire alarm was right next to the door. Obviously, she pulled it. The fire alarm rung. It's strident ringing made Amber cover and plug her ears for good measure. But at least her diversion worked.

Fabian and Nina walked out of the classroom with Sweet leading all the students outside. They ran to Amber when Sweet didn't notice.

Fabian hugged Amber. "Brilliant Amber! You're brilliant!"

Nina sighed in relief. "Let's get out of here and at least try and find a lead to the Cup."

A voice behind Amber said, "You mean the Cup of Life? Because I could help you, if you wanted."


	9. The Wandering Stranger

Chapter Nine: The Wandering Stranger

Mara could barely eat her breakfast. Something about that circle of light around Jerome left her befuddled. Maybe it was because it reminded her of Apollo, the god of the sun. But she never read about Apollo giving out prophecies like that. It was always through an Oracle, like the redhead girl she'd seen around camp, Rachel. She wished there was a way to communicate with Nina and her friends on the quest. Maybe they could help.

"Mara, is something wrong? Did you finish that sudoku puzzle I gave you earier?" Annabeth asked from across the table.

Mara gave her a half-smile and poked at her muffin. "Yeah, I did finish it. Do you know if there's a way to talk to Nina and the others? I just... Really miss them." She couldn't possibly tell her new sister about her joining a secret group. That would sound ridiculous. Mara decided to tell Annabeth when the time was right, so she wouldn't scare her off.

"IM them!" Hannah said happily. "Right?" Hannah was one of the Athena girls besides Annabeth that Mara befriended quickly. The only thing that bothered Mara was Hannah's constant seeking of approval.

"I'm sure that would work if they had a computer, Hannah..." Mara replied.

"She meant IM as in Iris Messaging. It's probably the only way you could reach them," Annabeth told her. "But you'd need a drachma, which no one here has because we spent it all for the fireworks next month."

"Couldn't we call them? Amber always has her phone with her."

"Bad idea. It would attract monsters like bees to flowers. The safest way is IMing. Or you could send a message in a bottle, but those take forever," Annabeth smiled. Moments later, Mara noticed Percy had walked over to their table and whispered something in Annabeth's ear. Her smiled turned to confusion as he did so. She got up and followed him towards the Big House.

From across the pavilion, Mara spotted Patricia. Mara hurried over to Patricia and whispered in her ear. "Going to investigate what Percy and Annabeth are doing. They seem suspicious. Want to come with?"

Patricia looked at Mara. "Is this really happening? Mara Jaffray wants to go and _spy_ on people?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Williamson?"

Patricia smiled. "At least you're being helpful in Sibuna. Alfie and Jerome have been no use. But I think you should let the more skilled people go first. This is only your first day, after all."

Mara shook her head. "I was the one who noticed Percy and Annabeth going to the Big House in the first place. You should at least give the new girl a chance."

"Fine. But I'm leading."

_Clara flipped the light switch, surprised to see the person she least expected on her bed: the Doctor. He was smiling at her, his bowtie crooked and he looked quite drunk. It took a few moments to calm the Doctor down before he would cooperate with Clara. He mentioned something about the Loch Ness Monster, but his words were all slurred and Clara really doubted that he really rode on Nessie._

"Light reading, Jerome?"

By instinct, Jerome shut his book and sat on it. He looked up at Joy, who was smirking down at him. "Why do you care? And why are you here anyway?"

Joy sat beside him. They leaned against a tree, facing the lake. They could hear the older campers having fun, throwing water balloons at unexpecting nymphs.

"Well, what I decide to do in my free time is my choice, and I chose to hang out with you. Be thankful," Joy told him. In truth, there was no one else around to talk with. For a moment, Joy almost swore she saw Jerome smile. "So, Doctor Who fan?"

"You saw the cover?" Joy nodded. "My dad was the one who was the fanatic. When he had me and Poppy, All he made us watch was Doctor Who. Eventually I got into it. I'm still surprised I brought along this book. At least it beats making pottery here."

"It's not that bad, Clarke. Once you get over the weird and magical part of camp, it's just any old summer camp."

Jerome looked at her, silently confused.

"Jerome, don't tell me you've never been to a summer camp!"

"It's not my fault!"

"Wow." Joy looked away, bewildered at Jerome's confession. "Well, Jerome Clarke, I'm determined to give you the best camp experience you've ever had."

After dinner, Joy and Jerome were laughing together, proud of their perfectly crafted prank on Alfie. A few steps behind them, Alfie walked begrudgingly, whipped cream on his shirt and glitter in his hair. Patricia walked over to where they stood and called them over to the amphitheatre where Mara sat.

"Isn't it a little early for camp songs?" Joy asked,

"No, it's a Sibuna meeting. And it's _really _urgent," patricia replied, practically dragging them to the amphitheater. When the four of them sat down near the back, Patricia began to tell the trio what she and Mara were doing that afternoon. "This morning Mara was talking to Annabeth and shortly after Percy came by and took her. She thought they looked suspicious, so she made me come with her to spy on them."

Alfie applauded. "Congratulations Mara! You're a real Sibuna member now!"

"At least she's better than you, Alfie. Anyway, we ended up in the Big House. Apparently, a boy came over the property line at dawn with no scratches or scars. I don't know what that means, but they made it seem like this happened rarely. The kid swore that he was told to come here."

"That's really odd," Joy said. "Before you guys came here, only demigods with satyrs got here safely. Without any assistance, it'd be almost impossible to get here. What is the kid's name?"

"Eddie," Patricia replied. "Eddie Miller."

* * *

><p><strong>Since this is set between season 1 and 2 of HoA, I thought it'd be fun to add some of the other characters in. However, they won't (for the most part) follow their original story plots.<br>**

**FFE**


	10. Tea?

Chapter 10: Tea?

"I could help you, if you wanted."

Fabian was astounded. The girl that spoke was small, probably small enough to be in middle school. She reminded him of a typical goody-two shoes that would remind the teacher about homework at the end of class. (Basically a smaller version of Mara.) Her blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of someone he knew.

"And you are?" Amber asked.

"You can call me Poppy. Let's get out of here before Sweet catches us."

The four students stopped at the front of Isis House.

Isis House was located about 50 yards away from Anubis House. Unlike Anubis House, Isis House was built like a brick with windows. If Annabeth were there, Fabian noted, she would've called it 'colonial' style, whatever that meant. Two columns were posted at both sides of the door and a multicolored welcome mat made Fabian look twice. To him, Isis House looked much more welcoming than Anubis ever was. Or maybe it was because Victor wasn't there.

Poppy led them into the main sitting room, which had white walls and neon colored bean bag chairs. "You guys can sit down. Everyone else is out. Left early for summer break." She went towards the kitchen where a kettle was boiling on the stove, its whistle ringing in Fabian's ear.

Fabian sat down on a green bean bag. "What about the House Parents, Mr. Roberts and Ms. Chapman? Aren't they supposed to stay until the end of term?" He shot Amber and Nina concerned looks. They barely knew this girl.

"From what I heard, on a date at Spire. They've been going out since the start of term. I really think Victor and Mr. Roberts would hit it off better, though." Poppy came out of the kitchen with a tray loaded with biscuits and tea and placed it on the white coffee table. "Would you like some tea? It's all they've left in the cupboards."

Amber was the first one to get a biscuit. "I am absolutely starving! I haven't eaten anything since last night!"

Fabian was reminded of that fact with his stomach growling like an angry German Shepherd. He grabbed a couple of biscuits and downed a cup of tea while he listened to Poppy and Amber talk about gossip. He noticed that Nina was silently cringing. "You okay Nina?" He whispered. The other girls didn't hear the couple talking, too occupied with their own conversation.

She nodded in reply. "My necklace is burning hot. Like, curling iron hot."

"It'll be fine. Just run it on cold water. It's probably just because we ran out here on a hot day, that's all."

Nina agreed and went to the kitchen to run her locket under the water.

Amber laughed. "So, back to business. Tell us what you know about the Cup of Ankh."

Poppy sighed. "Well, I heard about it when I took an Egyptology class in the summer."

"They have those?"

"Yes, they do. Now, when I heard about it, I thought it was just a silly myth, like the Ancient Greeks and their gods and stuff. But then this man came up to me one day and started talking to me about it like it was real and-"

"Wait. What man?" Fabian asked, now intrigued.

"The same man who made me poison your tea."

* * *

><p><strong>I really enjoy the camp side of the story personally, that's probably why it's longer than the quest side. <strong>

**Don't forget to review!**

**FFE**


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